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- White-Nosed Coati. These Raccoon-sized mammals can be found in trees around South Florida. Originally from Central and South America, these critters were first introduced into Florida as pets, but they have stuck around because of the abundance of juicy fruits and insects.
- Capybara. If you have ever seen the film The Princess Bride, you may recall the ginormous ROUS’s (or Rodents of unusual size) that terrorized our heroes in the Fire Swamp.
- Black Spiny Tailed Iguana. The Black Spiny Tailed Iguana gets its name from the black bands of keeled, elongated scales that run along with their bodies.
- Alligator Gar. Of the hundreds of fish species that inhabit the temperate Florida waters, the Alligator Gar is the weirdest. This massive fish can reach up to 10 feet in length and has been known to weigh over 300 pounds.
- Bluetail Mole Skink
- Giant Barrel Sponge
- Key Deer
- West Indian Manatee
- Bobcat
- Pelican
- Florida Panther
- Lower Keys Marsh Rabbit
- Ebonyshell
- Wood Stork
Mole Skinks are small lizards native to the interior central part of Florida. Their color is gray to brown with two light stripes on either side of their body. They have a red tail, and their habitat is sandy. They can be found under logs, leaf litter, or rocks. Florida has only a small population of this species. It is considered a threatened spec...
While it appears that the population of the Giant Barrel Sponge in the Florida Keys is thriving, there are still threats affecting this iconic creature. As with their coral cousin, they are threatened by ocean acidification and pollution. Additionally, they are prone to blunt trauma from divers and ships.
This subspecies of white-tailed deer migrated to the Florida Keys over the land bridge during the Wisconsin glaciation. The earliest written reference to the Key deeris from the 1550s when Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda described the animal. This animal is also known as a fawn or juvenile. Their lack of fear of humans makes them an endangered spec...
The West Indian manatee is a rare Florida animal that lives in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. It is grey in color, though it can also be light brown or black. It has wrinkly skin and sparse hair covering. The hairs on the manatee’s body are called vibrissae and are similar to whiskers in many mammal species. These hairs are thought to help the m...
Although you may think this feline is a pest, the bobcat actually plays a vital role in maintaining the balance of nature. As a top predator, bobcats often hunt animals larger than themselves. Regardless of their size, bobcats have a strong sense of hearing and sight. Florida is home to a few melanistic bobcats, which are nocturnal hunters that fee...
The Pelican is a beautiful bird that is a snowbird to Florida. This species is mainly a warm-weather bird and breeds in remote locations away from human disturbance and predation. Pelicans eat a wide variety of fish, including shrimp, crab, and fish. These birds can fly as high as 70 feet above the ocean and have keen eyes for spotting fish below. ...
The Florida panther is one of the most unique and rare animals found in the state. It lives almost exclusively in the southwestern part of the state. A male Florida panther has a territory that can range anywhere from 70 to 200 square miles. The male maintains his territory by using scent to mark its territory. Male Florida panthers are usually mor...
The Lower Keys Marsh Rabbit is a threatened species in Florida, and a number of human activities have contributed to its decline.Among these threats change in habitat, dumping, and vehicular traffic. The species is also vulnerable to domestic animals, such as feral hogs and cats. Its habitat is also threatened by exotic vegetation and fire ants.Reg...
There are several endemic invertebrate species that live in Florida. This is due to the state’s rich biodiversity. As a result, many species are restricted to particular habitats or associations in Florida. The round Ebonyshell is one such species. One of the major threats to the Ebonyshell in Florida is the destruction of its habitat. Construction...
There have been several changes to the Florida Everglades that have negatively affected the Wood stork’s habitat. In the past several decades, the species numbers have declined by 75 percent, primarily due to the destruction of suitable foraging habitats and colony nesting failures. Additionally, human actions have reduced the area of wetland habit...
Jul 10, 2023 · There are five separate ecoregions found throughout all of Florida, and many different types of wild animals are found in each one. In Florida, you may see black bears, coyotes, and wolves, or even beavers, badgers, otters, monkeys, turtles, alligators, bobcats, raccoons, white spiders, gopher tortoise, geckos, rodents, scorpions, birds like ...
- Florida Panther. Status: Florida State Animal. Scientific name: Puma concolor coryi. The Florida panther takes the cake as the most emblematic animal of the state of Florida.
- Northern Mockingbird. Status: Florida State Bird. Scientific name: Mimus polyglottos. The northern mockingbird is a common songbird native to most of the southeastern United States.
- Zebra Longwing Butterfly. Status: Florida State Butterfly. Scientific name: Heliconius charithonia. The zebra longwing butterfly is a sight to behold as it flits between the brightly colored flowers of Floridian gardens.
- Florida Largemouth Bass. Status: Florida State Freshwater Fish. Scientific name: Micropterus salmoides floridanus. Because of the pull of the coast, many residents and visitors to Florida forget about the abundant freshwater fish in the state.
- Chad Gillis
- Environment Reporter
- American crocodile, Crocodylus acutus. The American crocodile may play second fiddle to the alligator in Florida but it's just as majestic and even more mysterious than its toothy cousin.
- Florida panther, Puma concolor coryi. The name just rolls off the tongue: the Florida panther. These big cats have been prowling the Everglades area since the southern-most part emerged from the oceans thousands of years ago.
- Snail kite, Rostrhamus sociabilis. A medium-sized raptor with a downward curving bill, the Everglades snail kite once ranged as far north as Tallahassee, but development and over-drainage of wetlands destroyed it's habitat in areas well north of Lake Okeechobee.
- Loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta. Sea turtles are far-ranging travelers that have plied the planet’s oceans for more than 100 million years. They can often be found in coastal waters around the Sunshine State during the summer months, when females emerge from the Gulf of Mexico, typically at night, and drag their massive bodies up the sand dunes.
Sep 3, 2021 · Interesting Facts about Florida Wildlife You Should Know. 1. Florida has over 1.3 Million Alligators. 2. Florida is Home to Four Species of Black Widow Spiders. 3. Many Sharks Visit Florida Each Year During their Annual Migration. 4. Florida is Home to 50 Species of Snakes.
Paul Kroegel Statue. A memorial to the United States's first wildlife refuge warden. Homestead, Florida. Robert Is Here. The sign that drew attention to a young boy's cucumber stand is now the...
